Kateřina Neumannová

Kateřina Neumannová
Kateřina Neumannová in 2019
Country Czech Republic
Born 15 February 1973
Písek, Czechoslovakia
Ski club TJ Dukla Liberec
World Cup career
Seasons 16 – (1991–2002, 2004–2007)
Individual wins 19
Team wins 1
Indiv. podiums 49
Team podiums 2
Indiv. starts 170
Team starts 20
Overall titles 0 – (2nd in 2005)
Discipline titles 0
Medal record
Women's cross-country skiing
Representing Czech Republic
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2006 Turin 30 km freestyle
Silver medal – second place 1998 Nagano 5 km classical
Silver medal – second place 2002 Salt Lake City 5 km + 5 km
combined pursuit
Silver medal – second place 2002 Salt Lake City 15 km freestyle
Silver medal – second place 2006 Turin 15 km double pursuit
Bronze medal – third place  1998 Nagano 5 km + 10 km
combined pursuit
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2005 Oberstdorf 10 km freestyle
Gold medal – first place 2007 Sapporo 10 km freestyle
Silver medal – second place 2007 Sapporo 15 km double pursuit
Bronze medal – third place 1997 Trondheim 15 km freestyle
Bronze medal – third place 1999 Ramsau 5 km classical
Junior World Championships
Gold medal – first place 1993 Harrachov 5 km classical
Bronze medal – third place 1993 Harrachov 15 km freestyle
Representing Czechoslovakia
Junior World Championships
Gold medal – first place 1992 Vuokatti 5 km classical
Silver medal – second place 1991 Reit im Winkl 5 km classical
Silver medal – second place 1992 Vuokatti 4 × 5 km relay

Kateřina Neumannová (Czech pronunciation: [ˈkatɛr̝ɪna ˈnojmanovaː] ) (born 15 February 1973) is a Czech retired cross-country skier. She won an Olympic gold medal in the 2006 Winter Olympics, in the 30 km freestyle event. She is one of five cross country skiers to have competed at six Olympics.

She was also the first Czech woman to appear in both a Summer and Winter Olympics, having participated in the mountain biking event at the 1996 Summer Olympics.

Neumannová retired after the 2006-07 World Cup season.

Career overview

She was a flatwater canoeist and downhill skier before moving to cross country skiing at sixteen. Neumannová made her first appearance in the Winter Olympics in 1992 in Albertville. Her goal was only to gain experience. However, in all races (both individual and relay) she belonged to the best Czechoslovak athletes. Two years later, in Lillehammer, she was already among the best. She was 8th in 5 km classical and 6th in combination with 10 km free.

Her training during summer involved riding mountain bike and when the sport become popular she decided to race in it. Thanks to her strong muscles she quickly achieved successes. In 1995, she won a bronze medal at the European Championships, and she also qualified for the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta.

Although cross-country skiing remained her main sport and her summer training was usually lighter she took preparations for Atlanta seriously. "This time I left out the pleasant period and started abruptly. Thanks to it I achieved results in athletic tests that I last run in junior categories," she said before the Olympics. But her preparations were not in the best conditions. She practised in cold weather in Šumava while great heat was expected for the Atlanta race. On 31 July 1996, she became the first Czech female athlete to compete on both Winter and Summer Olympics when starting in the mountain bike race at the Georgia International Horse Park in Conyers, Georgia, United States. But the race itself was a horror for her. She fell off the bike early in the race. "I overrun about 15 racers but then a terrible crisis came upon me. I did not race anymore, I just wanted to finish," she described the race. She mainly complained about the terrible heat and said it was one of her worst experiences.

First major medal

Neumannová started the 1996/1997 season with a fourth place in the World Cup opener. The race took place in Kiruna and was run on 5 km free. Neumannová was content with the result but complained about soft snow she did not like. "If the track was more firm, I believe I would stand on the platform", she commented. At the end of the year she clearly dominated the Czech Championships on 5 km free and 10 km classic. She commented it was mainly training for her as the main goal for the season was World Championships. For it she announced a goal to finish among best six.

Only two weeks later, on 11 and 12 January, she achieved two second places in the World Cup. It was again on the 5 km and 10 km distances, but this time it was 5 km classic and 10 km free. The race was run in Hakuba, Japan on the tracks ready for 1998 Winter Olympics

On 17 February 2005, she won the 10 km free at the Nordic skiing World Championships. Neumannová defended her 10 km free title at the following championships in Sapporo on 27 February 2007.

On 24 February 2006, in her 20th and final Olympic race, Neumannová won her sixth Olympic medal, but first Winter Olympic gold medal in the 30 km freestyle mass start and became the oldest winner in the event.

On 14 January 2007 Neumannová received the title Czech Sportsperson of the Year 2006, a trophy awarded by journalists in the Czech Republic.

2009 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships

In late 2006, Neumannová was named an honorary vice president of the organizing committee for the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2009 in Liberec, the Czech Republic. On 25 July 2007, she succeeded Roman Kumpost as chair of the organizing committee for the 2009 championships.

Cross-country skiing results

All results are sourced from the International Ski Federation (FIS).

Olympic Games

  • 6 medals – (1 gold, 4 silver, 1 bronze)
 Year   Age   5 km   10 km   15 km   Pursuit   30 km   Sprint   4 × 5 km 
 relay  		 Team 
 sprint 
1992 19 13 — 14 22 — — 6 —
1994 21 8 — 14 6 — — 9 —
1998 25 Silver — 9 Bronze — — 6 —
2002 29 — — Silver Silver — 13 4 —
2006 33 — 5 — Silver Gold — 6 —

World Championships

  • 5 medals – (2 gold, 1 silver, 2 bronze)
 Year   Age   5 km   10 km   15 km   Pursuit   30 km   Sprint   4 × 5 km 
 relay  		 Team 
 sprint 
1993 20 8 — 16 5 — — 5 —
1995 22 11 — 7 13 — — 8 —
1997 24 6 — Bronze 4 — — 5 —
1999 26 Bronze — DNF DNF — — 7 —
2001 28 — — 9 DNS CNX — — —
2005 32 — Gold — 7 7 — 6 —
2007 34 — Gold — Silver — — 5 —
a. 1 Cancelled due to extremely cold weather.

World Cup

Season standings

 Season   Age  Discipline standings Ski Tour standings
Overall Distance Long Distance Middle Distance Sprint Tour de
Ski
1991 18 46 — — — — —
1992 19 19 — — — — —
1993 20 7 — — — — —
1994 21 12 — — — — —
1995 22 14 — — — — —
1996 23 8 — — — — —
1997 24 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) — 8 — 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) —
1998 25 15 — 46 — 9 —
1999 26 6 — 18 — 2nd place, silver medalist(s) —
2000 27 17 — 20 18 17 —
2001 28 9 — — — 12 —
2002 29 2nd place, silver medalist(s) — — — 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) —
2004 31 9 8 — — 21 —
2005 32 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 2nd place, silver medalist(s) — — 41 —
2006 33 5 2nd place, silver medalist(s) — — — —
2007 34 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 2nd place, silver medalist(s) — — 24 5

Individual podiums

  • 19 victories – (18 WC, 1 SWC)
  • 49 podiums – (48 WC, 1 SWC)
No. Season Date Location Race Level Place
1 1992–93 12 December 1992 Ramsau, Austria 5 km Individual C World Cup 1st
2  1995–96  9 December 1995 Davos, Switzerland 5 km Individual F World Cup 2nd
3 4 February 1996 Reit im Winkl, Germany 1.0 km Sprint F World Cup 3rd
4  1996–97  11 January 1997 Hakuba, Japan 5 km Individual C World Cup 2nd
5 12 January 1997 10 km Pursuit F World Cup 2nd
6 21 February 1997 Trondheim, Norway 15 km Individual F World Championships 3rd
7 8 March 1997 Falun, Sweden 5 km Individual F World Cup 3rd
8  1997–98  22 November 1997 Beitostølen, Norway 5 km Individual C World Cup 3rd
9 8 January 1998 Ramsau, Austria 10 km Individual C World Cup 3rd
10 9 January 1998 5 km Individual C World Cup 3rd
11 1998–99 28 November 1998 Muonio, Finland 5 km Individual F World Cup 1st
12 12 December 1998 Toblach, Italy 5 km Individual F World Cup 1st
13 9 January 1999 Nové Město, Czech Republic 10 km Individual C World Cup 2nd
14 22 February 1999 Ramsau, Austria 5 km Individual C World Championships 3rd
15 9 January 1999 Lahti, Finland 10 km Individual C World Cup 3rd
16  1999–00  28 December 1999 Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany 1.5 km Sprint F World Cup 3rd
17  2000–01  17 December 2000 Brusson, Italy 1.0 km Sprint F World Cup 2nd
18 10 January 2001 Soldier Hollow, United States 5 km + 5 km Pursuit C/F World Cup 1st
19 2001–02 25 November 2001 Kuopio, Finland 5 km Individual F World Cup 1st
20 9 December 2001 Cogne, Italy 1.5 km Sprint F World Cup 1st
21 29 December 2001 Salzburg, Austria 1.5 km Sprint F World Cup 2nd
22 5 January 2002 Val di Fiemme, Italy 5 km + 5 km Pursuit C/F World Cup 3rd
23 6 January 2002 1.5 km Sprint F World Cup 1st
24 12 January 2002 Nové Město, Czech Republic 5 km Individual F World Cup 2nd
25 2003–04 20 December 2003 Ramsau, Austria 10 km Individual F World Cup 1st
26 6 January 2004 Falun, Sweden 7.5 km + 7.5 km Pursuit C/F World Cup 1st
27 17 January 2004 Nové Město, Czech Republic 10 km Individual C World Cup 3rd
28 6 February 2004 La Clusaz, France 10 km Individual F World Cup 1st
29 21 February 2004 Umeå, Sweden 10 km Individual C World Cup 1st
30 13 March 2004 Pragelato, Italy 15 km Individual F World Cup 3rd
31 2004–05 26 November 2004 Rukatunturi, Finland 10 km Individual F World Cup 1st
32 28 November 2004 10 km Individual C World Cup 2nd
33 8 January 2005 Otepää, Estonia 10 km Individual C World Cup 3rd
34 15 January 2005 Nové Město, Czech Republic 10 km Individual F World Cup 1st
35 22 January 2005 Pragelato, Italy 7.5 km + 7.5 km Pursuit C/F World Cup 2nd
36 6 March 2005 Lahti, Finland 10 km Individual F World Cup 2nd
37 12 March 2005 Oslo, Norway 30 km Individual C World Cup 2nd
38 19 March 2005 Falun, Sweden 7.5 km + 7.5 km Pursuit C/F World Cup 2nd
39 2005–06 27 November 2005 Rukatunturi, Finland 10 km Individual F World Cup 1st
40 31 December 2005 Nové Město, Czech Republic 10 km Individual F World Cup 1st
41 14 January 2006 Lago di Tesero, Italy 15 km Mass Start F World Cup 1st
42 21 January 2006 Oberstdorf, Germany 7.5 km + 7.5 km Pursuit C/F World Cup 3rd
43 8 March 2006 Falun, Sweden 5 km + 5 km Pursuit C/F World Cup 2nd
44 11 March 2006 Oslo, Norway 30 km Individual F World Cup 2nd
45 2006–07 18 November 2006 Gällivare, Sweden 10 km Individual F World Cup 1st
46 7 January 2007 Cavalese, Italy 10 km Individual F Stage World Cup 1st
47 20 January 2007 Rybinsk, Russia 15 km Mass Start F World Cup 2nd
48 16 February 2007 Changchun, China 10 km Individual F World Cup 1st
49 24 March 2007 Falun, Sweden 7.5 km + 7.5 km Pursuit C/F World Cup 2nd

Team podiums

  • 1 victory – (1 TS)
  • 2 podiums – (1 RL, 1 TS)
No. Season Date Location Race Level Place Teammate(s)
1 1998–99 8 March 1999 Vantaa, Finland Team Sprint F World Cup 1st Hanušová
2  2006–07  17 December 2006 La Clusaz, France 4 × 5 km Relay C/F World Cup 3rd Erbenová / Rajdlová / Janečková

Note: 1 Until the 1999 World Championships, World Championship races were included in the World Cup scoring system.

Personal life

On 2 July 2003, Neumannová gave birth to a girl named Lucie.

See also